If we’ve moved away from the village or city we grew up in, we often wish to go back and visit there again to see how it might have changed, see if people we knew are still there, and see the places we knew as a child. Such a visit can be pleasant, or it can bring disappointment and sorrow. Maybe things have changed too much. Perhaps we don’t receive too much of a welcome. In our Scripture passage today Jesus made a visit to Nazareth, the village He grew up in. The visit was a disappointing one for Him, as neither He nor His message was well received.
For a number of months already, Jesus has been preaching and teaching throughout Galilee. He had brought healing to many, along with casting demons out, and even raising a girl from the dead. Now Jesus decided to make a visit to the village he had spent just about His whole life in until beginning His ministry. On the Sabbath day, Jesus went to the synagogue, and as was the custom in many synagogues, visitors were welcome to speak. Jesus started to preach His message of repentance and salvation. However, unlike in many other communities where He and His message were welcomed, here in Nazareth Jesus was met with skepticism and a critical attitude (vs. 1-3).
The residents of Nazareth started questioning exactly who Jesus thought He was, to come there and teach them. They questioned what right He had to say such things. In their thoughts He was not worthy. The villagers were deeply offended at Jesus’s coming to teach them, as if He were someone special or learned.
Then the people of Nazareth started to dish out some very insulting insinuations about Jesus. They called Jesus the “son of Mary”. Jewish practice was that genealogies were always patrilineal. Genealogies called people as the son of their father. Women were very rarely ever mentioned in any genealogy. The people of Nazareth were certainly not trying to bring honor to Mary. Instead they were probably remembering the rumors that Mary had been unfaithful during her betrothal, and had gotten pregnant, thus making Jesus not the son of Joseph. They were implying that Jesus was illegitimate, and in Jewish society illegitimate people were scorned and treated as outcasts.
Jesus noted the people of Nazareth’s attitude and reception of Him, and did not stay around very long. He only performed a few healings before He left the area (vs. 4-6). Jesus’s power did not diminish because of their unbelief. He still was all-powerful. Jesus limited His ministry there because of their hardened hearts of unbelief. Also, because of their unbelief, not as many people came to Him for healing as in other places, such as Capernaum. The villagers would rather see their loved ones sick rather than bring them to Jesus for healing. The few miracles Jesus did in Nazareth had little effect on the people because they did not accept His message or believe He was from God. If friends, neighbors, or family don’t respect your work for the Lord, don’t let their rejection keep you from serving God.
There is a difference between honest doubting or questioning and unbelief. Honest doubting is when one wonders if something could be. Unbelief is a declaration that “I know it is not” or “it can’t be”. All statements of doubt contain an element of questioning. A questioning person usually seeks the truth, wanting to know more. He is usually seeking the truth in a given situation, and wondering if an answer really exists. When the answer is revealed, he is usually open to accepting the truth. Someone with unbelief is not open to investigating or looking further. He is convinced that what he knows is absolute truth, and there could never be any other answer.
Unbelief cancels out what faith can do, and prevents God from working miracles and giving blessings. The people of Nazareth did not value or believe Jesus’s Words of truth. They scorned His teaching, were offended, and rejected Him in their unbelief. Jesus left Nazareth and was not to return. If someone’s heart is hardened with unbelief, the Holy Spirit will not continue to call upon them indefinitely. If you have not already accepted the Lord Jesus as your personal Savior, do not continue to stubbornly remain in unbelief. He will not remain where He is not welcomed, just as He left and never returned to Nazareth.
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